Data storage

Project files vs. database

ETS5 stores all projects as files and does not use a database. It is however not possible to bypass the export/import procedure in order to transfer/copy projects from one PC to another.

Project storage

Via the general ETS settings it is possible to change the default path for project storage.

ETS also foresees functionality in order to recover project data and to create project backups, the former is called 'restore points' and the latter 'archive', more details here.

The default path for the project store is 'C:\ProgramData\KNX\ETS5\ProjectStore'.

This may not be set to a network shared or cloud folder because the project files that are contained in this folder may be destroyed. Those files should only be accessible and edited by ETS.

Product storage

Via the general ETS settings it is possible to change the default path for product storage.

The paths for the Product and Project storage have to be different.

Relation between project storage and product storage

ETS5

When ETS5 adds a product from the product storage to a project, it creates an new instance of the product.

What does this mean? Example. Initially: suppose that product A with application version 1.1 was added from the product storage to a project. Later: in the product storage, the application of product A is upgraded from version 1.1 to version 1.2, for ETS5 this means that the instance of product A in the project is NOT upgraded, i.e. in the project it is still has application version 1.1. In order to upgrade the application of product A also in the project, an explicit upgrade for the application needs to be accomplished within the project, either via the 'Update from Online Catalog' or 'Update from Product Store' feature. This also means that with ETS5 it is possible to have different application versions for the same product within one project.

ETS5 & plug-in related problems

The above described ETS5 behavior can lead to problematic situations concerning plug-ins.

Suppose that in the example above application version 1.1 uses a plug-in version 1.1 and that application version 1.2 uses a plug-in version 1.2. This situation can become problematic if the setup of plug-in version 1.2 replaces the already installed plug-in version 1.1, i.e. instances of product A having product version 1.1 would try to use plug-in version 1.2 instead of plug-in version 1.1. Solution: update the application to version 1.2 for all instances of product A.

ETS5 vs. ETS4 (background information)

When ETS4 adds a product from the product storage to a project, it creates a copy of that product.

What does this mean? Example. Initially: suppose that product A with application version 1.1 was added from the product storage to a project. Later: in the product storage, the application of product A is upgraded from version 1.1 to version 1.2, for ETS4 this means that the application of all copies of product A in all projects are automatically upgraded. This also means that with ETS4 it is NOT possible to have different application versions for the same product within one project (or even database).